2015 Flat Champions to be crowned on QIPCO British Champions Day

"This is good progress" – current Flat Champion Jockey Richard Hughes on the new Championships. Image copyright of Laurence Squire. 

The official Championships for Flat jockeys and owners will run over the core premier Flat Racing period in 2015, starting at Newmarket’s QIPCO Guineas Festival (Saturday 2 May) and concluding at Ascot on QIPCO British Champions Day (Saturday 17 October). 

The new Championships will provide a greater opportunity to celebrate the stars of the sport and their achievements and a fitting occasion on which to crown them. 

Leading riders, including current Champion Flat Jockey Richard Hughes have welcomed the move with the current Champ saying, “This is good progress and I will be all out to win a fourth successive Championship this year under the new format before I retire. It took me 20 years to win my first Championship and I am certainly in no mood to give up my title now! Anything which helps to raise the profile of the sport and is of benefit for the weighing room is something that I’m all for.”  

The new changes will see the stars of the sport battle it out to be crowned Champion on racing’s richest day, QIPCO British Champions Day, the finale to the Flat season. And, for the first time, there will be prizes for all levels of the weighing room to compete for, funded by Great British Racing and British Champions Series.  

Frankie Dettori, three-time champion jockey added: “This makes complete sense. The profile of racing has changed. You need a good start and a good finish with the leading contenders present. Racing needs to make more of us jockeys and the rivalry between us to engage the public.  I believe it will heighten the intensity of the competition which is exactly what we should be doing in the sport. Under the old system there wasn’t as much fanfare around the Championships but it’s what you see in Formula 1 and other sports and fans really get involved.”

Champion Apprentice of 2014 and rising star of the weighing room, Oisin Murphy praised the move saying: “I think it’s a brilliant idea because the Guineas and Champions Day are two of the most high profile days in the calendar so it makes total sense to run the Championships then. It’s also great that riders starting out have something to fight for as well and are included in these changes.” 

The key changes to new Championship are: 

• The new Flat Championships for jockeys and owners will start on Saturday 2 May and conclude at Ascot on QIPCO British Champions Day on Saturday 17 October.
• The Champion Jockey will collect £25,000, whilst the runner-up will take home £10,000 and the leading apprentice jockey £5,000 (based on total numbers of Turf and All-weather winners on the Flat during the new period). 
• Further cash prizes and awards will be made to the jockey who rides the most winners in Britain during the calendar year (£15,000) and £10,000 for the leading jockey during the All-Weather Championships. 
• There will also be a monthly cash prize awarded to Jockey of the Month, in association with Channel 4, which is designed to acknowledge a variety of jockeys across the Weighing Room.
• Finally, a £25,000 sum has been allocated to the PJA, to fund a special welfare project which will see a dedicated counselling service provided for all PJA members. 

Read the full Press Release and Q&A’s for more information.